The present invention relates to an open roof apparatus mounted to a vehicle body to permit a roof covering the top of a passenger compartment to move between an extended position in which it extends over the vehicle top and a stored position in which it is stored in a vehicle rear portion.
This kind of open roof apparatus is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI-7-232561 or Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. HEI-5-44642.
An open roof apparatus of HEI-7-232561 has a structure in which a roof covering the top of a passenger compartment is mounted to a vehicle body via a link mechanism so as to be movable between an extended position in which it extends over the top of the vehicle and a stored position in which it is stored in a storage compartment at a vehicle rear portion.
An open roof apparatus of HEI-5-44642 has a structure in which a hood-shaped roof covering the top of a passenger compartment is folded and stored in a storage provided at the rear of the passenger compartment.
FIG. 16 illustrates the open roof apparatus presented in HEI-7-232561.
Referring to FIG. 16, a vehicle 200 has a front hard roof 202 and a rear hard roof 203 which cover the top of a passenger compartment 201.
When a gear 204 is rotated clockwise by a motor not shown, a drive link 205 moves upward, tracing an arc path. A roof set bracket 208 coupled to a distal end portion of the drive link 205 is rotated clockwise about a fulcrum 207. The rear hard roof 203 is swung clockwise and stored in a storage compartment 209 formed at the rear of the vehicle 200.
At the same time, a cam 212 supported on a fulcrum 211 relative to the vehicle body 206 is driven by the roof set bracket 208 to rotate counterclockwise about the fulcrum 211. As a result, a first link 213 is swung clockwise, causing the front hard roof 202 to swing clockwise via a bell crank 214, a second link 215 and an arm member 216, to be stored in the storage compartment 209.
In a stored state, the first link 213, bell crank 214, second link 215 and arm member 216 are also stored in the storage compartment 209. As a result, the vehicle 200 can be used as an open car.
Thereafter, the motor can be reversed to return the front and rear hard roofs 202, 203 from the storage compartment 209 to their original states.
Meanwhile, in the vehicle 200 running, a bending moment or a twisting moment is produced. For example, during running, road reaction forces act on a front portion 223 and a rear portion 224 of the vehicle body 206 via front wheels 221 and rear wheels 222, thus inducing a vertical bending moment or twisting moment in the vehicle body 206. Against such moment, the vehicle body 206 needs to have sufficient rigidity.
In particular, when the vehicle 200 is used as an open car, the front and rear hard roofs 202, 203 are stored in the storage compartment 209, so that the front and rear hard roofs 202, 203 cannot support the top of the vehicle body 206. Accordingly, the rigidity of the vehicle body 206 should be increased. To ensure a rigidity balance throughout the vehicle body 206, it is also necessary to ensure sufficient rigidity at the rear portion 224. For this, the rear portion 224 is partially reinforced by a number of reinforcing members at portions where it is desirable to increase rigidity. The addition of the reinforcing members, however, leads to an increase in vehicle weight, preventing weight reduction of the vehicle body 206, and thus leaving room for improvement.
The same is true for the open roof apparatus of HEI-5-44642.
It is thus required to ensure rigidity at a rear portion of a vehicle body while avoiding weight increase of the vehicle body of a vehicle having a roof covering the top of a passenger compartment which is movable between an extended position in which it extends over the vehicle top and a stored position in which it is stored in a vehicle rear portion.
According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle open roof apparatus which permits a roof covering a top of a passenger compartment to be stored in a storage compartment at a vehicle rear portion, which open roof apparatus comprises: at least one link mechanism swingably mounted to a vehicle body of the vehicle to permit the roof to move between an extended position in which the roof is extended over the top of the vehicle and a stored position in which the roof is stored in the storage compartment; and at least one link lock mechanism for fastening a swinging distal end portion of the link mechanism to a rear end portion of the vehicle body when the roof is moved into the stored position.
As just described, the open roof apparatus in this invention has the link lock mechanism for fastening the swinging distal end portion of the link mechanism to the rear end portion of the vehicle body when the roof is moved into the stored position, so that the vehicle body can be supported by the link mechanism between a portion thereof to which a swinging proximal portion of the link mechanism is mounted and the rear end portion to which the swinging distal end portion is fastened when the roof is moved into the stored position. This results in an increase in longitudinal rigidity of the vehicle rear portion. The securement of rigidity of the vehicle rear portion while preventing weight increase of the vehicle body can ensure a sufficient rigidity balance throughout the vehicle body.
The link mechanism and the link lock mechanism in this invention are preferably provided at either side of the vehicle body. Thus, the vehicle rear portion is supported at its both sides by the left and right link mechanisms. The longitudinal rigidity of the vehicle rear portion can thus be further increased to ensure a more sufficient rigidity balance throughout the vehicle body.
The link lock mechanism in this invention preferably comprises a striker provided at the swinging distal end portion of the link mechanism and a latch mechanism provided at the rear end portion of the vehicle body for locking and unlocking the striker, thus having a simple structure.
Further, the link lock mechanism in this invention preferably has an auxiliary lock mechanism, which auxiliary lock mechanism comprises a vertically elongated lock pin provided at the rear end portion of the vehicle body or the swinging distal end portion of the link mechanism, and a lock hole provided in the swinging distal end portion of the link mechanism or the rear end portion of the vehicle body, into which hole the lock pin is vertically fitted. The lock pin and the lock hole prevent rattling of the vehicle rear portion in all horizontal directions. Thus, the longitudinal and lateral rigidity of the vehicle rear portion can be further increased to ensure a more sufficient rigidity balance throughout the vehicle body.